Walk Away
by emerald-nellie
Summary: Holly stumbled numbly along the long, desolate road with James Potter still holding firmly onto her arm and he guided her into the greying dusk. All she had the energy to do was to continue walking. Walking away... Just Walk Away.
1. Chapter 1

Holly stumbled numbly along the long, desolate road with James Potter still holding firmly onto her arm and he guided her into the greying dusk. She couldn't think, she couldn't stop, and she couldn't rest. All she had the energy to do was to continue walking. Walking away. Just** walk away.**

Nightfall was approaching quickly and they seemed to have made little progress. Ahead of them, the road lay straight and empty: identical to what they had just passed. Everything seemed exactly the same as it had an hour before; the only exception being that the smoking village was gradually growing smaller and smaller, and sinking slowly into the horizon.

Mountains lay ahead of them, looming high and unforgiving. They appeared treacherous and dangerous: an uninhabited wasteland. That was where they were headed. They knew not what lay upon the road on the near side or on the far side of the mountain, but it was the only way they could go. They could not turn back, not now.

The sun was slowly retiring behind the snowy peaks of the mountaintop and the evening was growing steadily darker. Whispering eddies crept their way across the landscape but everything else was silent. Their own breaths, ragged and rasping, pounded numbly in their ears, the dull, rhythmic beat slowly forcing its way into their hearts and souls. Their heads pounded with the noise, but they were no longer aware of it. It just became another part of the horrible opera they had found themselves caught in. They were nothing but actors on a rough, dark stage, existing merely for the sport of their pursuers.

Holly stumbled numbly along the long, desolate road with James Potter still holding firmly onto her arm as he guided her into the greying dusk. Her wrist hurt badly, but she was glad for the support. If it weren't for him, she already would have crawl into the undergrowth by the side of the road and lay there waiting. Waiting for what? Maybe forever, until death's icy finger sought her out in her sad, piteous hidey-hole.

She panted heavily; they had been walking for hours without a break for water. They didn't even have any water. She felt ready to collapse, but even that would take to much energy. She couldn't think, she couldn't stop, and she couldn't rest. All she had the energy to do was to continue walking. Walking away. _Just walk away._

"We… we need to stop," she panted. Almost as if on queue, her feet gave up on her and she stumbled. James caught her before she hit the ground and held her firmly upright.

"We can't," he said, but nevertheless helped her into a sitting position in the middle of the road.

"How much longer are we going to keep this up?" she wailed.

He sighed, "I really don't have a clue. Your guess is as good as mine. The best we can do is to keep going until we find something. Or someone."

"No food, no water, no rest, no _wand_," Holly mumbled, "We probably won't get anywhere the way we're going!"

James took his glasses off with a sigh and wiped them on his shirt, clearing them of the dust and dirt that had accumulated over the hours. "Holly, you're not the only person who's suffering here. Do _not _make the mistake in thinking that you are." His tone was gentle, but held no sympathy. He barely had enough to account for himself and certainly not enough to share. He definitely wouldn't be handing it out like pamphlets at a town hall.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with despair and sorrow. She knew that he was suffering; how could he not be? He didn't need to remind her. After all, looking at him she guess was like looking into a mirror. Her expression, her face, her body, it must have all mimicked his. They were in this together, and they were suffering together. It was as simple as that.

She let her head drop back and rested it on the cool asphalt. It was soothing to her hot skin and she felt her body calm at the touch. "What's the point of walking anyway?" she asked more to herself than to James. "What are we going to do even when we get to the mountain?"

"There'll be a town. We can find help there, then all the people can--"

"All the people?" Holly shouted, sitting up at once. Her face was read and it wasn't just from her physical heat; she was angry. She couldn't believe how idiotic and _naïve_ James was being. "What if there aren't any left? What if He has already been there and there aren't anymore people. What if the only ones left are _muggles_?"

"What if?" he roared, still standing and towering over her. "What if _what_? You cannot base your whole life on asking 'what if'! It's pointless and leads you nowhere. _Nowhere_. What if my uncle had tits? Then he'd be my fucking aunty. So what? It doesn't fucking matter! It doesn't change anything that's already happened and it doesn't help you judge what's going to happen in the future either, so just _shut up_."

Holly's lips trembled. She wasn't usually one to let her emotions get the better of her, but she had witnessed a terrible ordeal today and she was overrun with misery and distress. The whole situation seemed so pointless! She sniffed and wiped her nose with her dirty hand, leaving a trail of filth across her chin.

"Fucking hell," James muttered as he walked slowly back to where she was and sat down beside her. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his strong, protective arms around her frail, little body. She rested her chin on his shoulder and he rubbed her back. His sturdy yet angular hands worked their way across her shoulder blades, kneading and working the way his mother's used to.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he murmured softly in her ear. "It's just… I'm in a bad mood, too. We both aren't at our best, but we can't let that break us apart. It's vitally important that we stick together in times like these. I'm sorry. Really, I am."

"What's going to happen to us?" she whispered, her breath catching as a sob escaped her lips.

"Don't worry about that. Sirius knows where we are and as soon as he finds out what happened, he will come and find us."

"No he won't, he hates me," Holly moaned pathetically.

"Hates you?" James said incredulously, pulling her away from him and looking carefully at her face. He tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and, with his thumb, wiped away a tear that was trickling down her cheek. "Hun, he loves you more than anything else in the world! And besides, even if he _did_ hate you – which he doesn't – he's my best mate and he would certainly come looking for me."

"But he's angry at me! He said he didn't want to see me anymore."

"I think you'll find that his worry and anxiety will overrule any prior anger. Don't worry; he'll come for us. It's just a matter of time. But while we wait, we need to find somewhere safe. It's getting dark and it will be night soon. You need rest, and neither of us will be able to go on much further tonight. We need to find somewhere to stop."

James gently lifted Holly off him and helped her to her feet. It took more energy than he had imagined and he found himself feeling light headed. Once they were both standing steadily on their feet, they continued the long trek toward the mountains. James pointed away east, where a small patch of forest lay, and told Holly that they would rest there for the night. It looked safe enough, and it was undercover which was important. It wasn't safe for them to be out in the open, especially since there would surely be people on the lookout for them.

It took them another hour before they had reached the trees and the sun had well and truly settled down for a long night's sleep. They made their way far enough into the forest that they could no longer see the road, but didn't go further than necessary. Exhausted and weary from the dreadful day, they lay down at the foot of a large, old tree. Considering their hasty departure from the village, they hadn't any pillows or linen and instead relied purely on what nature had provided them. The dirt, flecked with grass, was the softest bed they could wish for given the circumstances, and James' chest the softest pillow that Holly could hope for.

James stayed awake for many hours, thinking and reflecting on the day, but Holly fell asleep straight away and drifted into a dark and unpleasant dream. The night around them swirling on, oblivious to their misfortunes and suffering. Nature is good in that respect. It doesn't dwell on the mishaps of the past, but instead brings forth a new day, everyday, filled with surprises just waiting to be found, and new adventures just waiting to be experienced. As James Potter closed his eyes on the world for another night, he hoped that the following day would bring him, and his friend, some better fortune. After all, that was all he could hope for.

And they'd have to keep walking away. _Just walk away._


	2. Chapter 2

The night changes things; it turns them into something they are not

Chapter Two: Rock

The night changes things; it turns them into something they are not. A beautiful, old oak tree can suddenly become a monstrous, obtrusive monster. Even the bravest of folk quiver under the impenetrable darkness and gloom. There is no way to escape it but to wait for the morning light to shine through the shadows, illuminating the landscape and scaring away the breasts of the night.

Those dead hours of the early morning, when nothing moves and nobody lives, are the worst of all. To escape from this horror, we shut our bodies down and force them to sleep. It is a defensive mechanism our body uses to dealing with such devilry.

That night, Holly witnessed the true demons of the night. In her semi-conscious state, the lack of food mixing with the lack of sleep, darkness seemed to engulf her. Every movement she bore witness to was a dangerous foe, raising its wand from behind a tree, and every sound was a deadly spell being muttered somewhere close by. It was not a pleasant night on any levels, and Holly was relieved when the sun's morning rays finally shone through the canopy of leaves above her head. The sudden light caused James's eyes to flutter open, and his limbs to eventually stir into life: finally she was no longer alone.

"How are you feeling?" he murmured as he slowly pulled himself into a standing position. Even though he had slept for a number of hours, there were dark bags under his eyes indicating a rough night's rest. "We'd better get going."

Reaching down, he helped Holly to her feet before walking to the edge of the clearing and looking about. He stood there, gazing out at the unfertile wasteland that stretched before him, and weighed up their options. It was a morning routine that he had somehow slipped into, but it didn't make a difference; it was the same every time. "Let's get going," he said, turning back to face the girl, "We need to keep walking."

Day after long, uneventful day, they had walked down the lonely road. It was seemingly unchanging and never ending, and if the mountains before them hadn't been growing steadily bigger, they would have sworn they weren't even moving. That was what if felt like most of the time, anyway. The two companions shared little, if any, conversation throughout the course of the day, but they didn't need to. There were some things, some actions, that said more than words ever could, and they soon realized this.

"The smoke's stopped," Holly commented nonchalantly, her voice dull from lack of usage. She motioned over her shoulder, back in the direction they had come from. The small village was barely visible down the road but, sure enough, there was no longer a steady stream of smoke rising into the air. She didn't know whether it was a good sign or a bad sign, but it didn't really matter. "Do you think someone has realized yet?"

James, having turned to look for the smoke, focused his view back on the road before him. "I don't think so. None of us were expected back for another day, but I'm sure they will all find out soon. Don't worry, ok? When Sirius finds out he will come out here and get us."

"Do you really think so?" Holly whispered, her voice almost inaudible. Whether or not James heard her, she didn't know. He didn't reply.

The rest of the day continued much as the ones beforehand had; nothing spectacular. It wasn't until nightfall that thing began to change. For the better or the worse was irrelevant. What happened, happened, and there was no way of changing that. If given the choice, perhaps they wouldn't anyway.

Maybe it was just the deceiving tricksters of the night, creating false illusions and playing their wicket little games, but both Holly and James swore that they heard someone, or a group of people, making their slow way along the road behind them. The night can trick people who are foolish enough to get caught in its thick web, but there are some things that aren't worth putting up to chance and coincidence. Safety, especially when such evil forces are at hand, is one of them.

Holly grabbed James's arm tightly and looked over her shoulder. "Can you hear that?" she whispered close to his ear, mindful that her voice would travel in the night. While their bodies may have been disguised by the veil of darkness, even cover of night couldn't mask everything.

The young man stopped dead in his tracks and strained his ears as much as he could, intent on hearing whatever it was his friend claimed to have heard. He held Holly still in attempt to quell any sounds her jittering might have made, giving him maximum opportunity to listen. Almost instantaneously he became aware of a sound made by distant footfalls on the ground. Indeed they were being stalked like prey, and unless they acted fast they would be caught like sitting ducks.

"Holy shit," he muttered, twitching nervously. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

He looked around feverishly, now wishing that he had taken closer note of his surroundings whilst he'd still had ample time. He made a mental note to henceforth always keep in control of the situations he found himself in, and this involved being in touch with his locality. Even if it meant manipulating conditions to turn the odds in his favor, he would still strive to do so.

He quickly scanned the barren countryside, his eyes piercing the night as they searched through the abysmal darkness. The drumming rhythm of footsteps was growing steadily louder all the while, and he knew he must decide on a course of action soon.

"There!" Holly exclaimed, pointing somewhere into the distance. James followed her gaze and his eyes fell on a large, smooth rock that was looming hauntingly in the darkness less than a hundred yards away. As the warily approached it, it grew bigger and even more intimidating, creeping up on them like a serene iceberg in a still, back ocean.

Quickly the two scurried their way behind the large entity, crouching down low to the ground. Even though the overhanging rock towered far beyond their heads, they still felt the need to duck down. It was a defense mechanism.

"Stay here," James demanded, "and _don't make a sound_."

Holly nodded stiffly and the young man noticed, to his horror, that there were tears running down her face. But she would have to wait, he could comfort her later. At the present his business was with their pursuers.

Creeping around the side of the rock and out into the open darkness, he peered steadily into the night, looking for any sign of movement. Suddenly, making him recoil somewhat in shock, he saw a small group of people edging slowly along the road, bodies scraping extraordinarily close to the ground. They were clad totally in black robes – at least that looked to be so, it was excruciatingly difficult to decipher colour in the almost pitch blackness of the night – and had hoods pulled down over their faces. The way in which they crawled resembled hungry animals, sniffing the ground in hot pursuit of their prey. It made James sick to the stomach.

He had been standing frozen to the spot and gazing out at the road for a number of minutes, aware that he needed to make a quick retreat back to the rock as soon as possible. He couldn't delay. But instead he stayed, staring transfixed at the Death Eaters lining the road.

"James," Holly hissed, causing his back to stiffen and the colour to drain out of his face. He turned sharply, motioning for her to shut up; it these guys saw head or tail of them, they would be trapped. They were hiding behind a bloody _rock_ in the middle of _nowhere_. Where did they actually have to retreat to? Sitting ducks. They were sitting ducks.

He knew he had been standing there too long. He could feel it like a light pulling in the back of his neck. This fact was confirmed, however, when one of the Death Eaters stood up and yelled out. Whether they had seen James or heard Holly was irrelevant: they had been found.

"Holy shit! Holly!" he called, abandoning all of his former caution and racing back to the rock. "They saw me. What are we – what are we going to do? We need –"

But he was cut short as Holly's hand descended upon him and clamped firmly down on his mouth. For an instant, just a mere second, he imagined that she was under the imperius curse and was about to feed him to the Death Eaters. It was one of the most distressing moments of his life, and not one that he would forget lightly. The thought chilled him to the bone.

"Shut the fuck up James," she hissed, and he noticed an unnerving power in her eyes that he hadn't seen for days. She appeared menacing and intimidating, and he loved it. His Holly was back and she was rearing to go! Hand still firmly in place over James's mouth, she began to speak in a soft but urgent whisper.

"Let's just think. There must be something we can–"

However, she never got to finish her sentence as she too was cut short. A hole had appeared in the rock right next to them. Neither had seen it generate; one second it wasn't there, and the next second it was. James jumped to the side, alarmed at its sudden emergence, but Holly wasn't quick enough and was swiftly consumed within. The young man stood rooted to the spot, a look of uttermost terror spreading slowly across his visage The ideas currently running through his head were completely unfathomable and he didn't even want to consider their possibility.

Sidestepping away from the rock, as if in a dream, he looked out at the road. At the Death Eaters. They were almost upon him with less than ten yards separating himself from the nearest one. They were taking their time, believing that they had the two trapped exactly where they wanted them. That couldn't be, this couldn't be happening. James knew he had to do something. It was now or never.

He slowly spun back around to face the rock, all the while feeling as if he was caught in an old film stuck in slow-motion, and looked into the depth of the wide hole. Then abruptly, before his very eyes, it began to close back up again. With an inadvertent yelp he quickly made his decision.

Taking a deep breath he jumped, willing his body to be consumed into the vast cavity of darkness that lay before him.


End file.
